Dr. David and Iren Freeman

This scholarship was established by John Freeman through an estate gift from his parents Dr. David H. and Mrs. Iren Freeman in their memory and in appreciation of the importance of Calvin to them and his family.  After serving with the U.S. Army in Europe during the Second World War and earning the Purple Heart, Dr. Freeman attended Calvin, where he graduated in 1947.  He continued his studies at the Free University in Amsterdam where he met and married Iren Enyedi – a theology student who left her family and war-torn Hungary to study in Holland. After coming to the United States in 1950 and gaining citizenship, Iren enjoyed being a mother, a school teacher and social worker.  She maintained a keen interest in theology, and she would occasionally deliver Sunday sermons in various churches.  Dr. Freeman went on to earn his Masters and PhD in Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania in 1953 and 1958 respectively.  Dr. Freeman wrote a number of published articles and books on philosophy and logic.  He was especially notable for translating 18 volumes of philosophical and theological writings from Dutch to English, including the four-volume work of Herman Dooyeweerd, A New Critique of Theoretical Thought. He was the long-standing chairman of the Philosophy Department at the University of Rhode Island, and he served as a visiting faculty member at Calvin.  After retirement, Dr. Freeman taught at the Naval War College in Newport, RI.  He also taught karate for 20 years and became a fourth-degree black belt.